Published: May 8, 2004 8:00 PM

SALEM, Va. Maybe its that theyre beginning to peak at the right time of the season. Or maybe Donna Newberry and her Lady Muskies took serious offense at being shafted by the NCAA after winning the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament last weekend. It could be that they wanted to send a message to the host school that the 2004 Regional Tournament is theirs to win. Who knows, maybe someone filled the Gatorade cooler in the dugout with oil and vinegar.Whatever reason one can come up with, its obvious that the Muskingum College Lady Muskies are exactly what the little girl in Poltergeist said ... theyre baaaaaaack!On Saturday evening at the James I. Moyer complex, Muskingum turned in its second impressive outing in as many days as the Lady Muskies rolled No. 2 seed Roanoke, 12-0, in five innings. With the win, Muskingum, which has won 25 games in a row, is one win away from reaching its third World Series berth in four years.Muskingum (37-5) took control of things in the bottom of the first inning by scoring 10 runs on eight hits as 14 batters went to the plate. Senior Erin Zupko (Girard-Liberty) drew a one-out walk to start the inning. Junior Nicole Blubaugh (New Lexington) and senior Shauna Jellison (Zanesville-Maysville) followed with back-to-back singles. Sophomore Lindsay Bramhall (Dayton-Vandalia Butler) then delivered the first big blow as she belted a grand slam over the left field fence.The Lady Muskies went on to plate six more runs, which included consecutive RBI doubles by Zupko, Jellison and Blubaugh.In the fourth inning, Blubaugh ripped a leadoff single to left and former Meadowbrook High standout Ashley Carpenter was inserted as a pinch runner for her. Moments later, senior Jennifer Feldkircher (Westlake-Magnificat) drew a walk. A single to right field by senior Jeanna Rayman (North Huntington, Pa.-Norwin) loaded the bases. After a flyout, senior Erin Calabrese (North Royalton) ripped a two-run double to left, plating Carpenter and Feldkircher and giving Muskingum the 12-0 lead.Sophomore Erica Hoyt (Tipp City-Bethel) struck out two in two innings of work. Freshman Andrea Crow (Copley) fanned one and walked none in three innings of relief.Emily Rackley was handed the loss.Blubaugh finished with two singles, a double, an RBI and run scored. Jellison added a single, double, RBI and two runs; Rayman had two singles and a run; Bramhall had a grand slam, four RBI and a run; and Zupko added a double, three RBI and two runs.In other games on Saturday: The Sewanee (Tenn.) Lady Tigers eliminated Bethany (W.Va.) from regional competition on Garrett Marquardts RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, clinching a 2-1 decision. Amy Owensby spun a one-hitter a single to Bethanys Emily Patton and finished with seven Ks and one walk. Anigie DeSantis fanned three and gave up a free pass for Bethany (29-15). Emory (Ga.) kept its World Series hopes alive by posted a 4-0 victory over Averett (Va.) in the losers bracket. Three hits and a walk in the top of the first helped the Lady Eagles take a 2-0 lead and they cruised from there. Christine OBrien threw a three-hitter to record the win. She fanned three and walked three. Emily Sunshine led Emory with two singles, an RBI and a run. Brittany Estep struck out three and walked six in the loss. Jessi Moss led the Lady Cougars (20-22) with a pair of singles.On Friday, the Lady Muskies began their quest to the World Series in Salem by besting postseason nemesis Bethany, 6-0.A pair of consecutive hits a double down the left field line by Bramhall, a single to right by senior Jennifer Shay (Stow) in the bottom of the second put Muskingum in business.Rayman then singled through the left side to put the Lady Muskies on top, 1-0.Muskingum added a second run in the fifth as freshman Kim Tackett (Canal Winchester-Whitehall) doubled to right-center to start things. A sacrifice bunt by junior April Rader (Bucyrus-Colonel Crawford) moved Tackett to third. Zupko then hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Tackett and giving the Lady Muskies a 2-0 edge.The Lady Muskies put the game away in the fifth with a four spot. Shay hit a leadoff single up the middle, Rayman singled to third and Feldkircher sacrificed to advance the runners. Freshman Amy Iammarino (Mantua-Crestwood) then smoked a two-ruin double to right-center. Moments later, Zupko blasted a homer to left-center to give Muskingum a 6-0 lead.Hoyt recorded the win for the top-seeded Lady Muskies. She gave up three hits while striking out 11, including getting the side looking in the fifth. Hoyt allowed no walks.Rayman finished with two singles, an RBI and run. Bramhall added a single, double an run; Jellison had a single and double; Shay had two singles and a run; and Blubaugh had two singles.Romney Waters (22-5) took the loss for Bethany. She gave up six runs on 14 hits while fanning one and walking none. Waters, Emily Patton and Heather Bainey each had a single for the Lady Bison.In other games on Friday: Bethany scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Averett, 2-0, in the tournament lidlifter. Leslie Lopez RBI triple was the big blow. Waters earned the win, fanning three and walking none. Heather Mull struck out two and walked two in the loss. Emorys Sarah Morse hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning to score Betsy Bruinsma and give the Lady Eagles a 1-0 victory over Sewanee. OBrien recorded four Ks and walked none. Owensby was dealt the setback. She finished with three Ks and three walks. Kristen White had three singles for the Lady Tigers. The No. 2 seeded Roanoke (Va.) Lady Maroons fended off a late rally by Emory to post a 4-3 victory in Game Four. Amy Alexanders three singles, RBI and run scored paced Roanoke. Amy Gillis earned the win while Emily Rackley got the save. Nicole Kovski struck out four in the loss. Mary Nicol had two single and an RBI for the Lady Eagles.NEXTMuskingum will play in the championship game today against the winner of the Roanoke/Sewanee-Emory contest. If the Lady Muskies would happen to lose today, there will be a second championship game on Monday.